Dark
by cobra
Summary: Set between the second and third seasons, the scoobies are without a slayer, facing a threat unlike any other.


Title: Dark  
Author: Cobra  
Rating: R  
Disclaimer: I don't own it.  
Summary: Set between season two and three of BTVS. The Chase family  
is not as clean as it seems to be. And when a bad man want's revenge.  
Xander and the other scoobs get involved.

A/N: This is an answer to my own challenge. I put out the challenge  
hoping the idea would leave me alone. It didn't. Here's the Pro. hope  
you all enjoy.

Prologue..

Xander rubbed his neck as he sat in the passenger side of Cordelia's  
car.

"Just another fun night of slayage." Xander said with a sigh as he  
leaned his head back. He looked at the driver who had a heavy scowl  
on her beautiful face.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a caring voice.

"What the hell do you think is wrong." Cordelia screamed causing  
Xander to wince." You were almost killed tonight you idiot. What the  
hell were you thinking jump in the middle of those vampires."

"I don't know. Thinking of how they were after you maybe." Xander  
said in a caring voice as he turned his head and looked out the  
window at the passing darkness.

"You always do that. You never think before you jump in to save the  
day. I just know that one day your luck is going to run out." Cordy  
said lowering her voice.

"Don't worry about me Cordy. It's my job to worry about you." Xander  
said as he continued to look into the darkness of the night.

"Don't be such a man Xander. I can take care of myself." Cordelia  
said as she pulled up to her passengers house and put the car in park.

"I know. But as long as I'm around. I'm going to do my best to make  
sure you don't have to." Xander said as he finally looked at her and  
opened the door. He stepped out slowly and then looked back before he  
shut the door., "I love you too Cordy."

"Your so lucky to have me doofus." Cordy said with a smile.

"I know." Xander said with a happy smile as he shut the door and  
moved around the front of the car. He turned around and waved as he  
reached his door. Cordy rolled her eyes while smiling and did the  
same before putting the car in drive and leaving the curb.

"Believe me I know." Xander said to the darkness as he turned and  
unlocked the door to his house. He stepped in carefully and shut the  
door silently. Little did he know that the next day would change his  
attitude, and his life.

Cordy was still smiling as he walked into her house. A smile that  
meant one thing. She was happy. Last week it was the smile of love.  
This week, tonight, it was the smile of utter and complete happiness.  
She flipped the lightswitch and although her mind was veiled in her  
happy glory it didn't take long for her to realize that the lights  
didn't come on.

"No need to panic. Just a blown bulb that's all." She told herself as  
she walked from the foyer into the living room and tried a different  
light. Same result., "Just a coincidence." She told herself with a  
shaky voice. A scurrying sound in the far room made the beautiful  
brunette jump. She looked around herself wildly before turning and  
almost running into the kitchen. The moonlight coming in the large  
windows of her house giving her just enough light to make it to the  
kitchen pantry. She felt quickly for the flashlight. Praying to  
herself that the batteries were good. As she felt the cool metal of  
the maglight she smiled in hope and flicked the switch with a  
rewarding beam of light. Without really thinking she felt her front  
jeans pocket and quickly pulled out her cell phone. Dialing the  
number from memory she kept her eyes on the pantry opening. The phone  
on the other end rang only once before it was picked up by her  
boyfriend.

"Hello?" He said in a sleep laced tone that almost brought a smile to  
Cordelia's face.

"Xander. Something's wrong."

"Cordy. Are you okay?" Xander asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah. Xan, I think there's someone, or something, in my house."

"Where's the no necks?" Xander asked, mentioning the bodyguards her  
father had hired only a week before.

"I don't know. I haven't seen anyone. And the lights. They don't  
work." Cordy said as she moved toward the pantry door., "I'm scared  
Xander."

"Stay calm Cordy." Xander said, his hurried tone telling her he was  
already out his door.

"I am... I... AHHHH!" Cordy screamed as a large form stepped into  
the doorway. Her phone fell from her hands breaking into pieces even  
as Xander screamed her name over the line.

Xander ran like a man possessed, but it was several miles to the  
Chase mansion. He made the two mile trip in just under fifteen  
minutes. Out of breath, lungs on fire. But he made it. He felt his  
heartbreak as he saw the two Sunnydale Police crusiers in the drive  
way. He hit the mansion door like an professional linebacker, the  
large door flying open as Xander slid into the foyer breathing  
heavily.

"Where is she?" He asked as the policemen turned to look at him.

"This is a crime scene." Det. Stein said as he moved forward angrily.

"Answer me." Xander said as the detective reached him. Stein moved to  
push the young man back only to be taken by suprise as Xander twisted  
them both and slammed the detective against the wall.

"Where is she!" Xander screamed in impotent rage. The other  
policemen moved toward the young man as a strong voice broke up the  
confrontation.

"Let him in." As the other policemen came to a stop Xander let the  
large detective he was holding go. Stepping back and turning to walk.

"But Captain..." Stein started only to be cut off by the glare of his  
commanding officer.

"Where is she?" Xander asked again his voice tight with anger but  
still controlled.

"She's safe Xander. Her parents took her. I don't know where but her  
father said it was safe."

"Ok." Xander said a new tone entering his voice. A tone of  
relief., "What happened?" Xander asked as he followed the Captain out  
of the house.

"Animal attack." The man answered in an offhand tone. The spark of  
anger in Xander reignited as he grabbed the older mans shoulder and  
spun them both around slamming the officer against the wall of the  
mansion.

"What was that?"

"Calm down Xander. It was just an animal attack."

"Bullshit. You don't believe that anymore than I do. Police officer.  
It's your job to protect people. But all you do is turn your head and  
cough everytime someone in this town dies. You better do everything  
you can on this. Or I swear to god this little town will be turned  
upside down by what you keep pretending isn't there."

"I always do my best."

"I used to want to be like you. When everyone called you a pig, said  
you were worthless, I looked up to you. Wanted to be just like you.  
But then I found out what's really out there. And how incompetent you  
pretend to be. Your a disgrace."

"I will do my best Xander. I WILL find out what's going on. I  
promise." The man said with a sad low tone.

"No, you'll do better than that. You'll tell me everything you know.  
And my friends and I will take care of this. I'm sure you already  
know what I do at night."

"Yeah kid. I know." The officer said with downcast eyes., "I'll get  
you copies of the files. Maybe it's time to stop pretending the  
monster under the bed doesn't exist."

"I want them by daylight." Xander said as he let go of the man's  
uniform and walked into the darkness. Rory Harris looked at his  
nephews retreating back and sighed. Damned if he wasn't proud.

END Prologue  
Title: Dark  
Author: Cobra  
Rating: R  
Disclaimer: I don't own it.  
Summary: Set between season two and three of BTVS. The Chase family  
is not as clean as it seems to be. And when a bad man want's revenge.  
Xander and the other scoobs get involved.

Xander sat at the dining table, files strown out around him.

"This is your suspect?" Xander asked his uncle, who sat across from  
him, as he held up a picture.

"Yeah. Baba. That's his first, and as far as we know his last name."  
Rory Harris said as he take a long drink from a long neck bottle.  
Xander looked at him and sighed.

"Try to stay sober for this."

"I'm fine." Rory answered in a hard voice. Xander sighed again before  
closing the file and keeping the photo.

"I'm going to run some errands. You said the Chase's were threatened  
with Voodoo?"

"Yeah, and boy did they laugh there asses off at first." Rory  
chuckled morbidly as he tilted his head back and downed the  
beer., "Want one?" He asked as he stood and threw the empty bottle  
away.

"No thanks. I'll be back tonight. Try to be awake."

"I will be. I don't sleep much anymore."

"Maybe something does run in the family." Xander answered with a  
snort as he stood and walked toward the front door.

"Xander." Rory said as he followed the young man. Xander turned  
slowly and looked at his uncle.

"Take this." The older Harris said as he held out a snub nosed .38.  
Xander looked at the gun in thought before grabbing the pistol from  
his uncles hand.

"Thanks."

"Just be careful." Rory said as Xander opened the door and stepped  
out.

"Always." Was the last thing Rory Harris heard as his door shut with  
a loud click.

Xander walked into the rundown bar with a nervous gate. One the  
demons and vampires picked up immediatly.

"If it isn't the Slayer's little friend." Willy said quickly trying  
to save his own skin, not Xanders. Xander smiled slightly as everyone  
began to ignore him. To act like he wasn't here. He sat at the bar  
carefully.

"I need info Willy."

"I got nothin for you kid." Willy said dismissivly as he wiped a  
glass clean and sat it on the bar before filling it with a green  
liquid and sending it to a far table.

"You want me to send the Slayer in next time?" Xander asked trying to  
use the slayer as his bluff.

"Funny kid. You don't even know where the hell the bottle blonde is.  
You need to get some new threats. One's that aren't so empty." Willy  
said as he smiled at Xander with a pompous smile. Xander gritted his  
teeth as he stood quickly. His left hand grabbed Willy by the hair as  
his right pulled the snub nosed .38 from his waist band. Willy  
screamed in pain as the barrell of the gun slammed into his forehead.

"The threat might have been empty. But this gun, isn't." Xander  
noticed the demons and vampires beginning to stand around him. He  
quickly looked around the room. "If you value living, or whatever the  
hell it is you do. Keep walking out the door. The Slayer might be  
gone for now, but this is the hellmouth. It's not unprotected." The  
demons looked at Xander for what seemed like a hours. Finally one  
walked past and like a line at a roller coaster the monsters began to  
file out of the bar. As the last demon disappeared Xander turned his  
attention back to the almost crying bartender.

"Now do you feel like talking?"

"I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything I know. Just put the damn  
gun away." Willy said in a scared voice. Xander pushed the barrell  
harder into the snitch's skull before letting go of the man's hair  
and sitting on his bar stool once again.

"I'm all ears."

"I don't know much. Believe it or not even the big scary scaly guys  
aren't talking about this much. All I know is this guy is supposedly  
a Bocor."

"A what?" Xander asked in a serious voice.

"A Bocor. Basically a very evil and almost insanely powerful Voodoo  
priest. Supposedly the Chase family screwed him and his over a while  
back."

"How?"

"I don't know. Look the Chases' aren't as clean as they seem kid.  
There in with the underworld, human and demon. The chick your with,  
her father, he's not a good guy. He'd make some of those demons you  
and your friends slay seem like Catholic choir boys."

"You know more than your telling me." Xander said with a glare as he  
unconcieusly tapped the barrell of the .38 against the bar lightly.  
Willy looked at the gun and fidgeted slightly. Just as he was going  
to speak again the phone rang. He looked at Xander in question only  
to recieve a nod.

"Hello?" Willy asked in a shaky voice. He seemed to pale even more as  
he pulled the phone from his ear., "It's for you." The bartender  
whispered as he held the phone toward the teen. Xander looked  
confused for a moment as he grabbed the phone from Willies' shaky  
hands.

Hello Alexander. A thick Jamacian voice said through the reciever.

"Baba?" Xander asked in a confused voice.

A quick one aren't you. I called to ask you for a favor.

"Sorry. Don't do favors to people that try to kill my friends."

That's what I'm callin about. If you back off, your friends won't be  
harmed.

"What about everyone else?"

They're fair game as you American's say.

"And Cordelia?" Xander asked his anger growing with every word spoken.

I'm afraid she must die. But I'll save her for last if you like.

"Go To Hell." Xander gritted out as his face showed nothing put pure  
anger.

Do not be that way. I am offering you and your friends safe passage.  
Do not make me retract my offer.

"I'll do you one better. I'll shove your offer up your ass!"

If you do not stop this... fiasco, I will be forced to well, I have  
some interesting ideas for your friends. Especially that little red  
head. And man the Chase girl, I can think of all kinds of positions I  
would put her in.

"You just screwed up. You don't threaten my friends you dumb son of a  
bitch. I'm going to find you and blow your damn head off."

I'll give you a day or so to think over my offer.

"I'll give you a day to get the hell out of my town."

Goodbye Mr. Harris. It was nice to talk with you.

"Fuck YOU!" Xander screamed into the reciever before slamming it onto  
the bar shattering the cordless phone. With the same movement he  
leapt across the bar slamming the snitch against the back wall. "You  
better tell me everything you know... NOW!"

"I did kid. I told you everything. I don't know nothin else. I  
swear." Willy said his voice beginning to crack as he screamed in a  
higher tone. Xander relaxed slightly as he stepped back letting the  
man rub his bruised chest.

"Where's your other phone?"

"I'll get it for you kid." Willy said and turned leaving the room in  
almost a sprint. Xander sighed as he picked up the pistol from the  
bar. This wasn't like him, not the normal him. But his loved ones  
were in danger, and there was no Buffy to keep the monster at bay.  
Everything fell on his shoulders now, he just hoped he could carry  
the weight.

END CHAPTER ONE.


End file.
